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THE VOTTO

In my area, I had a choice of three or four Lotto terminals to choose from for starters. The Lotto question is straightforward enough. You are given forty-something numbers to pick seven from and the winner gets millions of euros. So the stakes are high and the system must be almost flawless.

But prior to doing the Lotto I had to go to an ATM machine to get cash. A private company, a bank, issued me with this card unique to me and on reading the card, the bank system can locate my account among millions of others and carry out a complex handshake transaction by lowering my balance and giving me the cash equivalent on the spot.

In this country we vote in our Government for five years and we have discovered that the promises they make to get our votes are lies at best. But worse than that, the new Government makes decisions which hurt those who voted for them but very often makes money on the side for individuals in the Government. What is most vexing is that they tell us they have our mandate to do it because we are a democracy. Anyone remember the solemn moon eyes facing the cameras talking about the so-called "Hard Decisions?"

But the lotto and the ATM machine showed me that it needn't be like this. If we are truly a democracy and the will of the people rules then there is a way for us to take a vote on absolutley everything. If an ATM can verify your identity and a lotto machine can register your five decisions on forty-plus different choices, then the combination of both technologies would allow the citizens to cast votes as often as decisions arose. The plastic voting card issued to each one of us would be unique and the voting system would be even simpler than Lotto numbers because the question asked would only require a yes or no.

Think of the abortion referendum and how no political party wants to go near it for fear of getting burned by the issue. Just let the people decide I say. Put the question to us any day of the week you like and we all have a voice. Regardless of which way it goes after that, we are stuck with it. That's democracy surely? They've set up a commission to look at Irish Water and when you research the hand-picked stooges on that committee you know their findings are a foregone conclusion. Most of them are from abroad so they won't be paying it anyway. So why not ask us, the affected party, for our decision on the matter. After all, if we do say no then the well-paid politicians have to find another way, don't they?

This modern system gives everyone a voice and it would mean that the people would let the politicians know what they want. The job of the politician would then become finding a way to implement the people's will. Issues should be presented in a cold unambiguous way in question format with a simple yes or no from all of us deciding it. Laws imposed on us without our consent spread anger and resentment but a majority decision on every aspect of our lives would leave little room for grumbling. Those who don't want to vote on a specific issue need not do so, as it the case now anyway.

Millions do the Euro Millions draw a couple of times a week and yet the result is in the next day. The Government at any time would have the will of the people overnight. It would be fair, just and equitable. And there need be no limit to the amount of issues put to the people. BREXIT has been high on everybody's agenda lately and Dame Enda has stuck his nose in it more than once. Why didn't he ask us if that's what we wanted him to do. A simple question like, "Do you want out leader to go to the UK and try to influence Irish voters there to vote Remain?" That's all it would have taken. I disagreed with him doing it but if the majority wanted it, then fine by me. That's democracy! We could even actually get a vote on whether we want a smoking ban. Remember, we were never asked about that one.

As it stands at the moment, the system is being abused by our representatives, often for their own benefit. An electronic based instant system like the Lotto or the ATM's puts the power of decision making back where it should be. The bozos in the Dail are called representatives because they are supposed to represent the opinions of those who voted for them. My system, which I hereby christen the "Votto" wouldn't even leave them squirm room. Of course, none of this is likely to happen because we have most likely had our democratic rights given away in return for some of those self same politicians getting jobs in Europe. That's the awful reality!

But just dream with me for a moment. If you'd been asked at the time, "Should we burn the bondholders?" what would you have said, Yes of No?

A sixty something male, happily settled with two adult brats and my rock of common sense. I've worked at lots of jobs, done lots of things, had many experiences hairy and otherwise and have met some really interesting people in my life as well as a fair share of pricks too. I have witnessed change, some of it just for the sake of it and I hope this blog will communicate the "how it was" as well as the "how it might all turn out." I am a libertarian, mildly catholic, strongly christian and I like to practice what I preach. I hope you enjoy my observations and some of them serve you well in your life.

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Comments

THE VOTTO — 4 Comments

One is that of voter fatigue – the virtual turnout will eventually fall off until the results are only representitive of those with axes to grind. The attendance record of MPs is poor enough, and it's meant to be their job.

The other is that, with the recent UK referendum in mind, even on such an important issue with lots of prior public debate and a decent turnout, the result was not far from a 50/50 spilt. Nothing will ever be completely cut-and-dried.

Yes Mick, I had considered voter fatigue and I suspect also that turnouts for some issues may be low also because of it. The simple way around that is either to A) Make voting compulsory as they have done in New Zealand, or B) Introduce a minimum quota. If, for example, the turnout is less than 50 pc, then the issue is scrapped or put on the back burner. It means the people think it is a non-issue and there are more important things to tackle.

The tight margin of victory in the UK referendum is a difficult one I grant you. In an ideal world one hundred per cent of the people would vote one way. But as that never happens then the majority rule has to apply even in the tightest situations. It already happens in many walks of life and all of us have been compromised at one time or other pursuing policies or methods we don’t believe in because that was the majority decision.

The point of the Votto though is that party politics cannot dictate our direction. If we care enough for our freedom then we will vote for it. If not, then we do not deserve that freedom and a dictatorial group must surely fill the void. The leave vote in the UK was, for me, a vote for democracy and personal freedom. It will come at a price because like us over here, a lot of British freedoms have already been given away. Now you have the opportunity to take them all back without interference. I predict a vindictive EU will fleece you for your temerity but once you ride that storm, you will have control of your destiny back. Of course, you’ll need to keep a sharp eye on your home grown megalomaniacs, hence the Votto!

In the UK, the last Labour administration is reputed to have averaged passing a new law every day for thirteen years. Making voting compulsory isn't going to help if we're obliged to vote that often – they'd clear a fortune in fines, though. A better variation would be to assume that any vote left un-cast was against change. That would stagnate things nicely!

I suspect you're right about the vindictive EU, which is why I hope that Teresa May doesn't win the Conservative leadership election. Her heart really isn't in the idea of Brexit – as Home Secretary she was one of those actively giving UK powers away.

Un-cast votes being counted as an ‘against’ would be fascinating but I doubt we’ll see that any time soon. But if there’s a necessity to draught a new law a day for thirteen years, what must the country have really been like? Was it a free-for-all bloodbath or what? And if not then what was the necessity for all those laws? Instead though, we could insist on the very first vote on the Votto machines be to limit the number of a laws allowed to be passed in a calendar year. Let’s pick twelve representing one a month and we get to vote whether they get passed as well each time.

As regards what happens next, nobody knows because it’s never happened before. Wise heads could prevail and it could go smoothly if all parties have the right intentions – or the opposite could take place and the EU would be in a mess also. Mind you, a Europe-wide Votto network operating like the Euro millions draw could help a lot to mend fences, don’t you think? Oh hang on! That would be democratic ………..